User's Manual
Wireless Access Point Router with 4-Port Switch
2
• One Windows 98 SE, Millennium, 2000, or XP PC equipped with:
• TCP/IP Protocol,
• Internet Explorer 4.0 or Netscape Navigator 4.7 for web-based
configuration,
• a CD-ROM Drive, and
• an Ethernet Adapter with a UTP CAT 5 Network Cable
• Cable or DSL Modem with Ethernet Connection and Internet Access
Simply put, a router is a network device that connects two networks together.
In this instance, the Router connects your Local Area Network (LAN), or the
group of PCs in your home or office, to the Wide Area Network (WAN) that is
the Internet. The Router processes and regulates the data that travels between
these two networks.
Think of the Router as a network device with two sides. The first side is made
up of your private Local Area Network (LAN) of PCs. The other, public side
is the Internet, or the Wide Area Network (WAN), outside of your home or
office.
The Router’s firewall (NAT) protects your network of PCs so users on the pub-
lic, Internet side cannot “see” your PCs. This is how your LAN, or network,
remains private. The Router protects your network by inspecting the first pack-
et coming in from the WAN port before delivery to the final destination on the
LAN port. The Router inspects Internet port services like the web server, ftp
server, or other Internet applications, and, if allowed, it will forward the packet
to the appropriate PC on the LAN side.
Minimum Requirements
An Introduction to LANs and WANs
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